New partnership to accelerate development of lidar solutions for autonomous driving

Virtual prototyping specialist Optis, and LeddarTech, developer of a digital signal processing technology for automotive solid-state lidars, are partnering to bring about the industrial simulation of lidar solutions. The aim is to enable companies to virtually test and integrate next-generation lidars created around the LeddarCore integrated circuit (IC).

“With the accelerated development pace of autonomous driving capabilities and the ongoing race to commercialise mass-market solutions on production vehicles, any solution that optimises the development and integration cycles of new technologies adds significant value,” said Michael Poulin, automotive solutions general manager at LeddarTech.

“Optis’s optical simulation tools play a huge role in giving a head start to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers developing with the LeddarCore ICs. By providing an autonomous vehicle simulator that makes the same decisions as a real-world connected vehicle, the tool helps to eliminate costly and risky real-world tests of new lidar systems and contribute to reducing their time to market.”

Optis’s light and laser modelling tools can aid the detailed design of LeddarCore-based lidar systems. Real material measurements are used to validate the lidar model and simulate the lidar sensor’s response in real time through virtual closed-loop simulation with automated driving functions.

“Thanks to this partnership with Optis, automotive companies can now virtually implement, test and validate our lidar technology very early in the design process,” said Poulin. “This early implementation also lets them fine-tune their system at a more global scale and define the specific configurations, should they require customised lidar solutions.”